Bill D. (VA)
Silver Member
Recently at a site here in SE Virginia I found this cool clamshell sword guard with some interesting symbology. It came in 3 pieces, but I believe I got it all. According to a detailed 1802 map, the homesite was occupied by a Captain John Woodley. The only reference I could find about a Cpt Woodley was that he was a British naval officer in the late 1700s, but I don't think it's the same guy. I checked Rev War records and could not find anyone by that name serving from Virginia. Or maybe he was a ship's captain as a lot of those were living in this area at that time. I'm pretty confident this piece dates to the 18th century, but was hoping someone could provide a more precise date, identify what type of sword it came from, and help decipher some of the symbols shown. Thanks for any assistance.
